Coronavirus: Béla Merkely said what protection measures would be necessary

“Currently, the problem is less, but there are more infected people. And the threat is not small, because there is a risk that a large number of infected young people will transmit the virus to the elderly, in which case mortality can increase significantly”, Béla Merkely pointed out. according to the same virus infects now as in spring. There is no significant difference, no significant mutation has occurred, explained the rector. But we can say that especially in 4-5 weeks, when the age distribution between the first and second phase is equalized, he said. It reminded us: we know from the first wave that none of the young people under the age of 30 died, and between the ages of 30 and 40 we lost 6 Hungarian citizens.

Now young people, say, between the ages of 15 and 35, are infected in the tens of thousands. They are the ones who go to the party the most and therefore they found the virus directly

He explained. When asked if we could expect something in the new wave, he replied that we could better handle the epidemic.

Complex package

The expert also highlighted the importance of the use of masks, hand washing and disinfection. If 80% of a given population wears the mask, the epidemic cannot spread and, in fact, retreat.

Specifically, he highlighted in this regard that

With the highly disciplined cooperation of the people, any epidemic can be suppressed even without closing the country.

If it were up to me, I would order the mandatory use of masks indoors, rationally, for example, when classes at school can be mixed: in the corridor, at the entrance and at the exit ”, he answered another question. For adults, I would make it mandatory in all enclosed spaces. At Semmelweis University, for example, wearing a mask is mandatory everywhere, he said.

Speaking of defense, put it this way a complex package must be created.

• Testing alone is not enough,
• regular and logical use of protective equipment,
• hand disinfection, the related narrowing is needed, he said.
• In addition, the protection of especially exposed people, such as the elderly.
• Testing of high-risk people, such as teachers, health workers, social workers. Testing for people living in nursing homes. These groups should be examined without direct contact and without symptoms. And these should be financed with public funds.
• Reclaim a safe shopping area for the elderly.
• It is important to have a contact investigation and not just for symptoms in Hungary.

He also noted that indoors, among large numbers of people, this virus is extremely virulent.

Thus the epidemic broke out in his homeland

According to him, Central Europe had a good chance that the next wave would not appear until the end of September. The problem here was that we went a lot to a place where the virus was present in large numbers. And most countries did not wait for an effective defense to end, they opened earlier, the virus circulating in the community space remained, and the virus recovered from sporadic local epidemics. It was in the Balkans, it caught fire quickly. And in these places, many tourists turned around and people took the virus home from there, he sensed.

At the beginning of the interview, he put it similarly: The turning point in the favorable data for the summer was that

many Hungarians went to Croatia on vacation and it was there that the number of infections increased dramatically.

Incidents increased a bit more around Lake Balaton, at various social gatherings, parties, picnics and the virus spread. And from here on everyone is infected from the community space, there is no trip between the causes, he said.

In the summer, people were released, discipline was loosened, they went to various parties, the rector presented the possible way the virus spread.

Click here to listen to the full conversation.

Cover image source: MTI / Zoltán Balogh